The two rivals will play each other on Feb. 6 at Ole Miss, an 8 p.m. tip-off, and on March 2 in Starkville at 4 p.m.

Andy Kennedy's Rebels, who were 20-14 and bounced in the first round of the NIT last year, also will face Auburn, Texas A&M, Missouri and Tennessee twice this year.

"We play in one of the toughest
leagues in America and it only gets better this year with the addition of
Missouri and Texas A&M," said Kennedy. "Each and every night is a battle -
that's life in the SEC."

New Mississippi State coach Rick Ray's Bulldogs, 21-12 and also a first-round loser in the NIT in 2011-12, have two games apiece against Alabama, LSU, Florida and South Carolina.

"Our schedule seems balanced and challenging, but if you are in a BCS
conference there is no such thing as a favorable schedule," Ray said. "The big
positive is that we play all of our SEC games on Wednesday and Saturday,
so it sets our players up for a great routine during the season, very
similar to a football schedule."

The Rebels and Bulldogs also released their full non-conference schedules Friday. Ole Miss will play Rutgers at home on Dec. 1 in the SEC-Big East Challenge and will play Indiana State, either San Diego State or San Francisco and a third, to-be-determined opponent in the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 22-25.

Mississippi State's non-conference slate features a game at Providence in the SEC-Big East Challenge on Dec. 1 and a trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational, where the Bulldogs will play North Carolina on Nov. 19, either Butler or Marquette on Nov. 20 and an undetermined opponent on Nov. 21.

"We play a lot of games early on the road," Ray said, "but I
think that will present an invaluable opportunity for this team to bond
and will help us prepare for SEC play."